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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of a school safety certification |
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program and the School Safety Task Force. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 37, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Sections 37.1081 and 37.1082 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 37.1081. SCHOOL SAFETY CERTIFICATION PROGRAM. (a) The |
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Texas School Safety Center, in consultation with the School Safety |
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Task Force established under Section 37.1082, shall develop a |
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school safety certification program. |
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(b) The Texas School Safety Center shall award a school |
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safety certificate to a school district that: |
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(1) has adopted and implemented a multihazard |
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emergency operations plan as required under Section 37.108 and |
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that includes in that plan: |
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(A) measures for security of facilities and |
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grounds; |
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(B) measures for communication with parents and |
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the media in the event of an emergency; and |
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(C) an outline of safety training for school |
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employees; |
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(2) demonstrates to the center with current written |
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self-audit processes that the district conducts at least one drill |
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per year for each of the following types of drills: |
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(A) a school lockdown drill; |
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(B) an evacuation drill; |
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(C) a weather-related emergency drill; |
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(D) a reverse evacuation drill; and |
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(E) a shelter-in-place drill; |
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(3) is in compliance with Sections 37.108(b) and (c); |
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and |
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(4) meets any other eligibility criteria as |
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recommended by the School Safety Task Force. |
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Sec. 37.1082. SCHOOL SAFETY TASK FORCE. (a) The School |
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Safety Task Force is established to: |
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(1) study, on an ongoing basis, best practices for |
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school multihazard emergency operations planning; and |
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(2) based on those studies, make recommendations to |
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the legislature, the Texas School Safety Center, and the governor's |
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office of homeland security. |
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(b) The task force is composed of: |
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(1) the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency |
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Management, or the chief's designee; |
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(2) the training director of the Advanced Law |
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Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center at Texas State |
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University--San Marcos, or the training director's designee; |
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(3) the chairperson of the Texas School Safety Center, |
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or the chairperson's designee; and |
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(4) the agency director of the Texas A&M Engineering |
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Extension Service, or the agency director's designee. |
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(c) The chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, |
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or the chief's designee, shall serve as the presiding officer of the |
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task force. |
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(d) A member of the task force is not entitled to |
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compensation for service on the task force but is entitled to |
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reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses incurred in |
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performing task force duties. |
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(e) In performing the task force's duties under this section |
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for schools, the task force shall consult with and consider |
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recommendations from school district and school personnel, |
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including school safety personnel and educators, and from first |
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responders, emergency managers, local officials, representatives |
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of appropriate nonprofit organizations, and other interested |
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parties with knowledge and experience concerning school emergency |
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operations planning. |
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(f) Not later than September 1 of each even-numbered year, |
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the task force shall prepare and submit to the legislature a report |
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concerning the results of the task force's most recent study, |
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including any recommendations for statutory changes the task force |
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considers necessary or appropriate to improve school multihazard |
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emergency operations. |
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SECTION 2. Section 46.0081, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 46.0081. SECURITY CRITERIA IN DESIGN OF INSTRUCTIONAL |
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FACILITIES. A school district that constructs a new instructional |
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facility or conducts a major renovation of an existing |
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instructional facility using funds allotted to the district under |
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this subchapter shall consider, in the design of the instructional |
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facility, appropriate security criteria [developed by the Texas
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School Safety Center under Section 37.2051]. |
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SECTION 3. Section 37.2051, Education Code, is repealed. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |